Clothespin



June 21, 1932. R, L BALL 1 863588 CLOTHESPIN Filed April 22. 1951 \nvenfon m h LBQH Afiys.

Patented June 21, 1932 RALPH L. BALL, OF SOUTH BERWICK, MAINE CLOTHESPIN' Application filed. April 22,

This invention relates to wire clothes-pins and particularly to a clothes-pin of the type illustrated in United States Patent N 0. 788,509, May 2, 1905.-

The object of the invention is to provide improvements in the construction shown in said patent by which the clothes-pin may be more easily handled and by which it will retain its proper shape and form when removed If) from the clothes line.

In order to give an understanding of the invention I have illustrated in the drawing a selected embodiment thereof which will now be described after which the novel features 15. will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Fig. 1 is a view of a clothes-pin embodying my invention showing it applied to a clothesline:

F 2 shows the clothes-pin in its normal en position;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33, Fig. 2.

The clothes-pin herein shown is made of wire and is of the same general type as that illustrated in prior United States Patent No.

788,509. The wire from which the clothespin is made is bent to form'the parti-ciroular body portion 1 the wire at each end of the body portion being bent inwardly as shown at 2. The two portions 2 converge toward each other.

At the inner end of each portion 2 the wire is bent to form a jaw portion 3, said jaw portions being adapted to grip the clothes-line 4 between them. The body portion 1 is resilient so that the opening of the jaws to apply the clothes-pin to a clothes-line flexes the body portion and the latter thus causes the jaws to apply a clamping pressure to the clothes-line, this action being the same as is involved in the prior patent.

The wire beyond each jaw 3 is bent to form the U-sha ped guiding portion 5 which embraces the body 1 and the end of each wire is bent upwardly and then downwardly to form the U-shaped handle portion 6 which also embraces the body 1.

The handle portions 6 are so made that the two legs or sides of the U-shape of each handle portion occupy a plane at right angles to the plane of the body. In using the clothes- 1931. Serial No. 531,909.

pin the operator will grasp the two handle portions 6 between thethumb and forefinger and by making these handle portions so that they occupy planes at right angles to the body each handle portion will present a flat .bearing surface to receive the thumb or finger thus enabling the operator tohandle the clothes-pin much easier than where the handle portions are in the form shown in the above-mentioned patent.

When the clothes-pin is removed from the clothes-line it is desirable that the guiding portions 5 should be prevented from sliding forwardly over the points 7 of the body portion because if these guiding portions 5 .should become thus misplaced the clothes-pin would not be suitable for use. In order to prevent this from happening I have provided a novel construction wherein when the clothes-pin is removed from the clothesline the two aw members engage each other thereby limiting the contracting movement of the body portion and preventing it from contracting to a point which will permit the guiding portions 5 to slide down to the points 7.

The two jaw portions 3 are shaped not only to present the gripping jaw but also so as to have a crossing relation, one jaw portion inclining slightly in one direction relative to the plane of thebody 1 and the other jaw portion inclining slightly in the opposite direction relative to said plane;

With this arrangement the two points 8 where the two jaw portions 3 meet the .portions 2 are o'fiset from each other, one point 8 being situated on one side of the plane of the body 1 and the other point being situated on the other side of said body as indicated in Fig. 3. From the points 8 the jaw portions 3 are both inclined relative to the plane of the bodyv lbut in opposite directions so that they have a crossing relation as shown best in Fig. 3.

Because of this crossing relation the jaw portions will engage each other when the clothes-pin is removed from the line and will thus prevent the body from contracting or collapsing further than illustrated in Fig. 2. The body therefore, can never collapse to such an extent that the guiding portions 5 can slip down over the points 7 The shaping of the clothes-pin to provide this crossing relation of the jaw portions 3 will bring the leg of the U-shaped guiding member 5 which connects with the right hand jaw 3 on the front of the body l in Figs. 1 and 2 while the corresponding portion of the other guiding member 5 will be situated on the back of the body 1.

A clothes-pin embodying my invention can be freely handled without danger that it will get out of its proper shape.

While I have illustrated a selected embodiment of my invention I do not wish to be limited to the constructional features shown.

I claim:

1. A clothes-pin made of wire bent to present a parti-circular resilient body portion and two jaw portions within the body portion, said jaw portions having a crossing relation, whereby when the clothes-pin is removed from the clothes-line the resiliency of the body will cause them to engage each other and thus limit the contracting movement of the body, and a continuation of the wire from each jaw being bent about the body portion to provide guides for movement of the jaws and being further bent upwardly from the guiding portion, past one side of the body and downwardly past the other side of the body thereby to present two j aw-opening handles having fiat faces occupying planes perpendicular to the plane of the body.

2. A clothes-pin made of wire which is bent to form a parti-circular resilient body, the wire at the ends of the body being bent inwardly toward each other to provide a converging throat and the wire further being bent to form two jaw members adapted to embrace the clothes-line, said jaw members being inclined in opposite directions with reference to the plane of the body and thus having a crossing relation, whereby they engage each other to limit the contracting movement of the body when the clothes-pin is removed from the clothes-line, the wire from which the clothes-pin is made being further bent upwardly past one side of the body and downwardly past the other side of the body thereby to present two guide handles for opening the jaws which handles have flat faces occupying planes perpendicular to the plane of the body.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

RALPH L. BALL. 

